Historial de la Grande Guerre and Fred & Farid Paris Ignite Gen Z's Interest in WWI

When Gen Z Meets WWI: An initiative sparks curiosity among young audiences, inviting them to dive into World War I history. 

As global tensions rise, echoing the onset of the Great War, the Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne (France) has teamed up with creative agency FRED ​ & FARID Paris to launch a poster campaign aimed at engaging Gen Z. This effort showcases the Historial's student-focused offerings, tapping into the visual and linguistic styles that resonate with today's youth.

The campaign features four prints, influenced by the gradient design trend that dominates popular social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. The poster taglines artfully connect today's young people with the generation that endured the war a century ago – a sacrificed generation that never had the chance to experience their youth fully. Steering clear of moralizing, these taglines evoke curiosity and encourage young people to delve into this pivotal period in history. The initiative underlines the Historial de la Grande Guerre's ongoing dedication to educating new generations through contemporary, engaging methods while avoiding a somber, anxiety-inducing approach.

Through these educational actions, the Historial de la Grande Guerre aims to be a cultural space in tune with future generations. In a world where history sometimes seems to repeat itself, it is more important than ever to pass on the memory of our past to avoid repeating the mistakes made. 

Hervé François, Director of the Historial de la Grande Guerre, comments: "Our museums, dedicated to the history of the Great War and humanity at war, intertwine the perspectives of the warring nations and open the door to knowledge, reflection, understanding, and illumination of the contemporary world. The Historial aims to consistently raise awareness and challenge younger generations about the mechanics of conflicts, their impacts, and implications on past, present, and future societies. As history stumbles, and war upsets and disrupts Europe, it is more crucial than ever to pass on the memories of our past, to know our history in order to enlighten our world."

The media strategy for this campaign encompasses press releases in regional and national daily newspapers and billboard displays in France via the JCDecaux network in Paris, Lille, Amiens, and the Somme region. The campaign also extends to the Historial's channels, ensuring a broad reach.

This campaign is the second collaboration between the Historial and the agency Fred & Farid Paris. In 2018, they launched together the "The Unknown Face" project to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice of the Great War. This digital creation, a synthesis of thousands of portraits of men and women swept up in the turmoil of war, aimed to raise awareness and stimulate the historical memory of younger generations. Since 2019, "The Unknown Face" has been featured in textbooks; it was part of the middle school exams in 2021 and included in the 2022 third-grade annals.